Description of paniculate hydrangea variety Tardiva, its planting and care, propagation

Paniculata hydrangeas have won the love of gardeners for their exotic beauty and pleasant aroma. One of the popular varieties, Tardiva, is distinguished by delicate, neat inflorescences and brings a piece of Japanese flavor to the garden. It has typical features of the Hydrangeaceae family - sensitivity to soil acidity and demanding watering. At the same time, paniculate hydrangea Tardiva is adapted to any climate and is universal for use in landscape design.

Characteristics of hydrangea paniculata variety Tardiva

The natural habitat of the plant is China, Japan, Sakhalin Island. The tall bush forms a lush crown of irregular shape with straight shoots covered with hard bark. Flowering begins in the third year of life, is dense, and lasts from August to November.

External features of Tardiva hydrangea:

The shrub noticeably increases in green mass over the season. The southern regions will be most favorable for the late-flowering variety, but it is also adapted to harsh climates. The characteristics of the plant include the rapid recovery of shoots after pruning and frost, as well as long-term growth in one area without significant depletion of soil resources.

The use of Tardiva hydrangea in landscape design

The shrub is planted in compositions and as a hedge. Lush green vegetation with soft white flowers will decorate a single bench in a secret place in the garden, a path, or the porch of a house. The inflorescences are suitable for cutting and making winter bouquets.

The Tardiva variety combines with purple varieties of mackerel. The beauty of the bush is favorably emphasized:

• boxwood;
• Canadian hemlock;
• yew;
• Liriodendron tulip.

Perennials suitable for flowerbed planting are: echinacea, astilbe, paniculate phlox, Japanese anemone.The following look beautiful against the backdrop of voluminous shrubs:

• decorative bow;
• Horny goat weed;
• host;
• pachysandra apex;
• gourd or creeping gourd.

Large inflorescences of hydrangea look elegant with ornamental grasses: foxtail pinnate, sedge, Red Baron imperata, miscanthus.

Despite the asymmetry, Tardiva hydrangea holds its shape with regular pruning. It can be used to decorate borders and small flower beds.

Resistance to low temperatures in Tardiva hydrangea

The high frost resistance of the plant is associated with the cold climate of its natural habitat. The variety is suitable for cultivation in northern, temperate and southern latitudes. In the south, the shrub blooms longer. In harsher climates, it is also capable of blooming until the first frost if pruning rules are followed.

The plant is classified as zone 4 on the USDA hardiness scale. It survives at temperatures of -34 degrees, but most of the young shoots freeze. The loss does not affect the health of the bush in the spring. After removing frozen branches, the bush grows even more luxuriantly.

In the southern regions, shelter for the winter is not required, only in the first year after planting. In temperate and northern latitudes, it is recommended to close the plant if extreme cold temperatures are expected.

Techniques for planting and caring for Tardiva hydrangea

The well-being of the plant depends on the correctly chosen site for planting. Most attention needs to be paid to soil moisture. The second important nuance in growing hydrangea is the level of soil acidity, which affects the change in color of the inflorescences.

Selection and preparation of a site for planting Tardiva hydrangea

The plant requires nutritious light soil with neutral or low acidity. In acidic soil, the inflorescences will turn a shade close to purple.

To make the petals brighter, you can slightly increase the acidity by adding pine needles or sawdust to the soil. Irrigation water with lemon juice will help maintain an acidic environment. To reduce acidity, two weeks before planting, you need to dig up the area for hydrangeas with wood ash or lime.

For a wide and tall hydrangea, an open sunny or slightly shaded place, protected from the wind, is suitable. The roots of the plant are located at a depth of 1-1.5 meters, so the groundwater must lie deeper so as not to over-water it.

Rules for planting hydrangea Tardiva

In temperate and northern latitudes, shrubs are planted in spring, and in the south also in autumn. It is important that the soil temperature in the area exceeds 10 degrees Celsius. When planting in autumn, you need to take into account that the plant will need a month to adapt before frost.

Planting holes for several bushes or hedges must be dug at intervals of 2 meters so that everyone has enough space for branched roots and a lush crown. The depth of the planting hole is 60 centimeters, and the length and width are 50 centimeters each.

Planting method:

• Place pebbles, gravel, and broken bricks at the bottom of the dug hole for drainage;
• pour 10 centimeters of peat layer on top of the drainage layer;
• mix the extracted soil with peat and humus;
• place the seedling in the planting hole together with a lump of earth from the container;
• cover with soil mixture so that the root collar is 5 centimeters above the surface;
• compact the planting and water it.

After watering, the soil will settle and the root collar of the plant will descend. The appearance of new green leaves after 2 weeks is a sign of successful rooting of seedlings.

Watering and fertilizing Tardiva hydrangea

The bush needs to be watered once a week. Water consumption is 30 liters per square meter of area.Wet soil must be loosened.

Watering is combined with fertilizing:

• in the spring, during the period of foliage formation, organic fertilizers, an aqueous solution of bird droppings or mullein are applied;
• In the summer, before flowering, a complex mineral fertilizer or a phosphorus-potassium mixture is applied.

In spring and summer, plants are fed every two weeks. Organic fertilizers promote crown growth, but their excess slows down the formation of inflorescences.

Pruning hydrangea variety Tardiva

Crown formation begins in the spring of next year after planting. Before sap flow begins, damaged branches are removed from the bushes and the tops are trimmed. The first haircut stimulates crown growth.

The next pruning is carried out in the fall. After flowering, the bushes are shortened by a third. Young shoots are pruned to four buds. During flowering, faded buds are cut off from the bushes. This way the plants do not waste energy on forming fruits with seeds and bloom longer.

Preparing Tardiva hydrangea for winter

It is recommended to wrap young bushes with agrofibre or spruce branches, and mulch the soil around the trunk with dry leaves or sawdust. It is not necessary to cover adult plants; you can limit yourself to mulching.

The procedure for preparing hydrangeas for wintering:

• the faded shrub is watered for the last time abundantly, with the addition of complex mineral fertilizer;
• the soil is loosened and mulched;
• Before frost, remove remaining leaves from the bush and from the tree trunk.

In addition to organic or agrofiber coating, in a snowy winter, additional protection and insulation will be created by a snowdrift in the tree trunk circle of the plant.

Tardiva hydrangea propagation methods

The decorative variety is propagated by cuttings. Young shoots of the current year are chosen for harvesting.Method of obtaining seedlings:

• cut the shoots into cuttings with 2-3 buds;
• hold the workpieces in the Kornevin solution;
• wrap in damp cotton cloth and place in a warm place for a week;
• plant cuttings with roots in containers with a mixture of soil and peat, cover with a plastic dome or glass container;
• Place in a dry place protected from the wind.

Cuttings are cut in late spring. During the summer, the seedlings are watered. The plants will be ready to be transplanted outdoors in August or next spring.

Seedlings from hydrangea cuttings can be grown in pots as indoor plants.

Diseases and pests of Tardiva hydrangea

The ornamental variety is resistant to most diseases. If agricultural practices are followed, insect pests will bypass the plant. In rare cases, Tardiva hydrangea suffers from the following problems:

Aphids and spider mites pass from other plants to paniculata hydrangea. Insects are washed off the leaves and shoots with a stream of soapy water and the bushes are treated with Akarina or Aktara.